Stronger Forces
by Greyscastlefan
Summary: Derek is married and Meredith engaged but is there a stronger force pulling the pair closer than ever? Please review and let me know what you think?
1. Chapter 1

**Little bit of scene setting…**

**Meredith and Derek both work in the hospital together and have been friends since Meredith started working there. That doesn't stop Meredith from having feelings for Derek, she wants nothing more than to be with him, but she knows the right thing to do is to stay with Jake. Nothing more has happened between them… yet. Meredith's fiancé, Jake is a teacher and teaches at a high school while Derek's wife, Lucy is the manager of a local law firm.**

**Chapter 1**

"Jake, I NEED to go now. I'm already late and Derek is going to kill me!" Meredith says pleading with her husband to let her go.

_Derek, oh Derek. McDreamy. How I can't wait to see him. It feels like it's been forever since I saw those dreamy-. Ugh no. What am I doing?! This is Derek, my boss Derek and I'm staring at Jake, my fiancé Jake. _

Jake let go of her arm. "This sucks, me having time off and you not, I have nothing to do around the house all day."

"I'm sure you can think of something to do. I won't even be long, I just need to go in for a consult. Two hours, tops. I promise. Then we can have our lazy day together." Meredith winked at her husband to be, seductively.

"Bye." She called from the front door just before she closed it.

….

"Morning Dr Shepherd." Meredith smiled. "So what do we have this morning then?"

"Jane Doe, head injury, possible brain bleed."

"Do we know what happened to her?" Meredith asked.

"Nope, no witnesses and she's currently unconscious." Derek replied as he led Meredith into the trauma room where the patient was.

The two doctors examine the patient as well as they could while Torres and Hunt treated her other injuries, nothing major. A broken arm and a few bruises.

"Right we need to take her for a CT." Meredith stated once she had finished her examination.

"Her break is stable for the moment but I'll need to take her into surgery as soon as possible, let me know when I can." Torres replied.

"Fine." Derek said as he wheeled the patient away towards CT.

"What's up this morning Derek?"

_Oh how I can't resist those dreamy eyes. Wait stop. what's wrong with me I need to stop thinking like this. _

"Nothing." Derek replied bluntly.

"Look, we've been friends for years now, I know when something's up. Just tell me, you know you can talk to me. Is it Lucy?" Meredith questioned.

"Meredith why can't you just leave it? It has nothing to do with you!"

"You had another argument didn't you?"

Derek didn't reply.

"What was it about this time? The house? Her job? Your job?"

"Mer, I asked you to leave it, why can't you just listen to me for once?!'

They arrived at CT. Half an hour later they were done and had the results.

"No bleed, and all seems to be fine." Meredith said gladly, she couldn't deal with having to spend hours in the OR with Derek in the mood he was in today. "Am I okay to leave now? Jake's waiting for me." She asked Derek.

"Yes."

….

"Derek, what's wrong with you today?" Bailey asked him.

"Nothing, absolutely nothing!" He replied with the highest level of sarcasm humanely possible.

"Derek?" Miranda said sternly.

"Sorry, it's just Lucy…. Again. We had another row about my job. She just doesn't understand why I do it. We hardly see each other anymore. Our first year of married life has been spent apart, and the only time we do get to see each other we're arguing about how we never get to see each other."

"Me and Tuck were the same. I'm not saying you won't be able to work things out, because I really hope you do. You both just have to make sure you really want it. And that It's not just one of you fighting for the marriage when the other doesn't really care or has already given up." Miranda told Derek, before giving him a pat on the back and leaving him alone.

He picked up his phone and went through the contacts in it. Scrolling straight past Lucy's name and phoning Meredith.

Meredith answered.

"Mer, I need you…"

_He needs me? Why does he need me? Is it a patient? What if he knows? What if I've made it obvious? _

_Of course he doesn't know. But, what if he does know?!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"W, what?" Meredith asked stunned.

"I need to speak to you. Meet me at Joe's?"

And with that he hung up.

"Who was that?" Jake asked.

"Derek, he, erm, needs me for another consult. I'll be back soon." Meredith lied, getting dressed quickly, before heading out the door.

…

Meredith walked into Joe's and saw Derek sat there on his own waiting for her, drink in his hand. She headed over.

"Derek, what did you mean by 'I need you'?" she asked as she sat down at the bar next to him.

"I need to talk to you. I shouldn't have been so rude earlier, you were only being a friend."

_There was that word again, the one she hated. Friend. She didn't want to just be his friend, she wanted something more. God, no what was she thinking. Her and Derek had been friends for years, and that was all._

"What do you mean?" She replied.

"You were right, it is Lucy. That's why I've been in a bad mood." Derek started.

_There was her name again, Lucy. God I hate her. Why does she get Derek and I don't? I appreciate him a lot more than she ever could!_

Derek continued. "She doesn't get why I'm a surgeon. She doesn't understand why I like it, why it gives me a rush. We never see each other anymore. Our first year of married life has been spent apart, and it's horrible. I married her so we could spend more time together and start a family, but I feel as though its destroying us."

_I understand, I understand how much your job means to you. I would love you and cherish you, not argue with you over your job._

"Oh Derek. Maybe if you just tried explaining to her?" she was cut off by Derek.

"I've already tried that and it didn't work. I don't know how much more of this I can take. I want to make it work, I really do. But I just don't know if I can…" He said.

The pair sat for the next few hours, drinking, laughing and joking. In all honesty Meredith was just trying to distract him, and it was working.

"Derek, I need to go…" Meredith said, finishing her drink.

"That's, fine. I want to thank you, for being here for me, I really appreciate it." He said, as he stood up to hug Meredith goodbye.

The pair hugged and she held him at arm's length.

"Look after yourself Derek." She told him.

Derek went to kiss her on the cheek but Meredith misinterpreted it and the next thing she knew the pair were kissing.

The kiss was more magical than Meredith could've ever imagined. They were exploring every detail of the other's month, every nook and cranny. The kiss was intimate, they'd completely forgotten they were in the middle of a bar until they heard someone behind them clear their throat. They quickly broke away from the kiss, both flustered and shocked that it had even happened.

"Cristina, erm…." Meredith stated, startled. "I, I need to go." And with that she left.

Meredith got into her car and started driving, she knew she probably shouldn't because she'd been drinking but she was pretty sure after what had just happened she was alert enough to get herself home.

_What was I thinking. How could I do that? How could I do it to myself, to Derek, to Lucy and to Jake. Oh Jake. What am I going to do. I'm so stupid._

…

Meredith finally arrived home. It was gone midnight and she was expecting Jake to be asleep.

"Hey, what took you so long?" He asked just as she closed the front door behind her.

"Oh, erm, we ended up going for a drink afterwards and just lost track of time, sorry."

"You don't need to be sorry, you work so hard all day, the least you deserve is to be able to go for a drink at the end of it." Jake replied, kissing Meredith on the cheek, and slowly moving to her lips. "Now, how about we take this upstairs, you seem like you could do with a little relaxation."

"Can, can we leave it for tonight? I'm not feeling too good. Think I'm coming down with something."

"Yeah, that's fine." Jake replied giving Meredith another kiss.

"I'm going to head up to bed now. Night." She said.

Meredith made her way upstairs. She got into her pyjamas and climbed into bed, after brushing her teeth and taking her makeup off. As she climbed into bed she checked her phone. Two missed calls and a text off Cristina.

'Meredith, what the hell was that?! Ring me asap!'

Meredith texted back.

'Nothing, just drop it Cristina. It doesn't matter!'

Meredith put her phone down on the bedside table and set an alarm for 6am, she had a shift tomorrow which she really was not looking forward to.

….

She woke up the next morning with a pounding head, more than likely the result of the alcohol she had last night along with the 'events'. She checked her phone.

'Look Mer, it wasn't nothing. I know it wasn't. Just speak to me tomorrow at some point.'

Meredith got up and got ready for work. She headed downstairs where Jake was sat eating his breakfast at the kitchen table.

"Morning." Meredith said, as brightly as she could. Walking over to him and sitting down beside him.

"You feeling better this morning?" Jake asked, kissing her on the cheek.

"Much better thanks. I'm running late, I have to go." Meredith said, standing up and grabbing her coat, just before leaving the house.

_I hate lying to him. I'm such a horrible person. I can't believe I'm doing this to the man I love six months before our wedding._

….

Meredith arrived at work an hour earlier than she should be so she decided to have something to eat to try and settle her stomach.

"Morning Dr Grey." Meredith heard coming from behind her.

"Erm, good morning Dr Shepherd." Meredith awkwardly replied.

"How are you this morning, how's your head after last night?"

"You seem in a better mood this morning." Meredith stated, trying to change the subject.

"Well, something, erm, interesting happened last night. Interesting to say the least." Derek said, winking at Meredith.

Meredith took Derek by the arm and dragged him into the nearest on call room.

"Ohhh, are we carrying off from where she finished last night?" Derek flirted.

"Derek! No. I can't do this. I shouldn't have kissed you last night. I'm getting married in six months, I can't do this to Jake!" Meredith sighed.

"Meredith." Derek placed his hand on her arm but Meredith shrugged him off.

"No Derek, don't Meredith me. It meant nothing, that kiss meant nothing. Now can you just forget about it and move on. I'm in love with my fiancé, Jake and you're in love with your wife, Lucy!" Meredith was shouting by this point. She turned around and walked out of the room without saying another word.

Meredith walked off down the corridor.

"Mer! Mer! Wait up!" Derek shouted, following her down the corridor.

Meredith turned round with a stern look on her face. "What Derek?!"

"Look, I shouldn't have been a jerk. I'm sorry. I can't just forget about what happened because it felt to me, like it meant something. I love you Meredith." Derek tried to rub her shoulder but Meredith pushed him away and continued walking down the corridor.

"That all looked pretty cosy Mer?" Cristina stated, questioningly.

"There's nothing going on between Derek and I. In fact, there is no Derek and I. we're co-workers, that's its."

"Didn't seem like that was the case when you were making out with him in the middle of Joe's last night." Cristina said.

"Look, just drop it. I'm going home. If anyone asks I'm not feeling well." Meredith replied as she walked off.

"Mer, you can't leave you have a shift!" Cristina shouted after her, but Meredith was already gone.

…

Meredith arrived home a couple of hours before Jake was due home from work, this gave her time to herself, to think.

_I can't believe what's happened in the past twenty-four hours. My life has changed so much. I don't even know what I was thinking last night. I love, well at least think I love Derek, but I'm engaged. I can't be doing this to Jake. He loves me with all his heart, he wants to start a family with me, but yet I'm sat here thinking. Thinking about who I love more, my boss or my fiancé. Derek has a wife anyway, that bitch. She takes advantage of him, he's loving, caring and so so sweet. And his eyes, well his eyes. _

Meredith continued her daydream as she walked upstairs and lay down on her bed.

_Derek's eyes just make me fall into a trance. It's like I can't look away. I've never felt like this with anyone ever before, I wish I'd have found Derrek eight years ago, before Jake and I were together and before Derek and Lucy met. I don't even think he loves her, the way he talks about her, he cant. Can he? They're always arguing, they never see each other, according to Derek. That's no way to live with your wife. What if its like that for me and Jake? He's a teacher so works during the day, and I mostly work nights. What if we never get to see each other and our marriage starts to fail. Would I be better calling the wedding off altogether? If Derek and I were married then we'd be able to do the same shifts, we'd see each other all the time. Oh what am I talking about, I can't be thinking like this, I love Jake and Jake only, not Derek. I'm marrying Jake, in six months. That's all that matters._

Meredith stopped her daydreaming and thought she should do something to keep her occupied. She went downstairs, grabbed her car keys and headed out of the house, locking the door behind her.

"How are you feeling now then?" She heard his voice, just as she turned around from locking the door.

"Derek, what are you doing here?" She asked, shocked.

"Cristina told me you went home because you weren't feeling well. Although you seem fine to me." Derek stated.

"Yeah, I erm wasn't feeling too good."

"Well, aren't you going to invite me in like a good host?" Derek winked at her.

"I was just leaving, I have somewhere to be, if you don't mind."

"Look, Meredith. I love you, I've said it before and I'll say it again, I, love, you. I didn't realise it until last night, after that kiss. But I know, deep down I've felt like this for years. Since the day we first met in that elevator, seven years ago. I don't know if you feel the same way, but if that kiss last night was anything to go off then…." Derek laughed as he walked away, leaving Meredith almost stuck to the ground in shock.

_He loves me? Derek Shepherd, world class neurosurgeon, loves me? It's all a joke, surely it has to be? He can't love me. _


End file.
